Cryptic Crossword - Abbreviations in Clues

Abbreviations in Clues

Abbreviations are popular with crossword compilers for clueing individual letters or short sections of the answer.

Consider the following clue:

About to come between little Desmond and worker for discourse (7)

There are two abbreviations used here. "About" is abbreviated "c" (for "circa") and "little Desmond" indicates that the diminutive of Desmond—namely, DES—is required. The "c" is "to come between" DES and ANT (a worker; note that compilers also use "worker" to stand for BEE or HAND), giving DESCANT, which means "discourse".

Compilers make use of a large number of these crossword abbreviations.

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Famous quotes containing the words abbreviations in:

    “Swear words and profanities are mere abbreviations of speech, similar to the abbreviations in writing.”
    —Franz Grillparzer (1791–1872)